'Family Guy' Kills Off Major Character (Video)

The Seth MacFarlane-voiced character had been a regular on the series since the pilot.

FOX

Fox's The Simpsons may have been the one to generate buzz earlier this season with news that it would kill off a character, but it was one of the network's other animated comedies that beat the long-running series to the punch.

During Sunday's "Life of Brian" episode of Family Guy, the Seth MacFarlane-produced series killed off a major character when the Griffin's sophisticated talking family dog, Brian, was struck by a car and run over as he prepared to play in the street with Stewie. Ultimately, his injuries were too severe, and he could not be saved.

"You've given me a wonderful life. I love you all," he said before flat-lining as his loved ones looked on with tears in their eyes.

Brian's death came after Stewie's time machine was broken and could not be repaired, despite his best efforts. The family later bid farewell to their smart-talking dog during an emotional funeral. Jumping ahead a month, the Griffins looked for the best way to move on and replaced Brian with a new dog.

Brian and Stewie are the backbones of the series and often team to mock Griffin family patriarch Peter. Brian is one of several characters voiced by MacFarlane, who also brings Peter, Stewie, Glenn Quagmire and countless others to life on the series.

It's unclear just why MacFarlane and the Family Guy producers opted to kill off the character. Shortly after the episode concluded Sunday, Fox paid tribute to Brian with a short video. Check out the clip, below, and hit the comments with your thoughts. Do you think Family Guy should have killed off Brian?